In legal proceedings, the term “sustain,” when used in response to an objection, signifies that a judge agrees with the objection raised by an attorney. The judge’s ruling indicates that the point raised in the objection is valid and should be upheld. For instance, if an attorney objects to a question posed to a witness on the grounds of hearsay, and the judge agrees, the judge will state “Objection sustained.” This prevents the witness from answering the question or prevents the evidence from being admitted.
This act of upholding an objection is critical to ensuring fairness and adherence to the rules of evidence and procedure. It safeguards against the introduction of inadmissible evidence, such as hearsay, irrelevant information, or leading questions, which could unfairly influence the outcome of a trial. Historically, the process of raising and responding to objections has been a cornerstone of the adversarial legal system, providing a mechanism for parties to challenge evidence and arguments presented by the opposing side, thereby contributing to a more accurate determination of the facts.
